Apparatus for preventing pulsations in gas-mains.



c. E. LUCKE. APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING PULSATIONS IN GAS MAINS.

Pm m APPLICATION FILED 00328, 1911. j P 1 Patented; ID, ms.

. 4 SHEETS-SHEET I- Atwst:

d m/ L c. E. LUCKE] APPARATUS FOR PREVENTENG PU'LSATIONS 1N GAS MAINS.

Patentefi. 3 m1. 15 191%;

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l A E4 r APPLICATION FlLED OCT. 23,1911.

C. E. LUCKE.

APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING PULSATIONS IN GAS MAINS.

m APPLICATION FILED OCT- 28, IBII- q 1 L253 84I5 v Patented Jan. L), I918.

4 SHEETS-SHEETG.

Fm van i012- Atty c.'. LUCKE.

APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING PULSATIONS IN GAS MAINS.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.28. 1911.

1 Q5$ SQF 5 Patentefi Jan. 15, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

.1 575:.- 0 VEHEZOF:

f 4 M? 2 hgzig I3. LUGKE, OF NEW roan, If.

1 flieatfon riled lletober 28, 1911. Serial l lo. 657,307.

Much trouble has been experienced from supplying gas engines and especially large one-cylinder engines by direct connectlons from supply mains which also supply gas for illuminating or other purposes, due to the pulsations in pressure which'are set up in the main. These pulsations are frequently of such strength as to damage meters and to cause lights'fed from the main not only to pulsate but in manycases to go out. The object of the present invention is to avoid these difficulties by means of a device which will enable gas engines of any size and character, as well as other devices which might produce pulsations in the main if supplied by direct connection from the main, to be supplied from a service main without causing pressure pulsations therein. This result is secured in accordance with the present invention by means of an apparatus or device whereby direct communication between a supply or service main and a branch pipe by which gas is supplied to the engine is prevented, while at the same time a continuous flow to the engine of gas taken from the main is provided at, if desired, substantially the pressure in the main. The invention includes certain features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts in a device of the character re-' ferred to and certain details of construction of parts of the same, all as will be hereinafter described and specifically pointed out in the claims.

As a full understanding of the invention can best be given by a detailed description in connection with drawings showing a preferred construction embodying the various features of the invention, such a description will now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view taken on the line 1 of,l*ig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

specification of Letters Pat-e113.

\ bells 2.

Patented Jan. 1th, W918.

ig. 3 is an enlarged central sectional view of the controlling valve and ports taken onfline 3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4% is a section taken on line. a of l ig". 3, but on a somewhat smaller scale.

Fig. is a plan view of the parts shown in Figs. 3 and 4, but with the valve and the cover of the valve chamber removed.

Referring to the drawings, the anti-puL sation device shown is intended to be connected with the gas main by means of a re ceiving pipe 10, which supplies the gas through a port 11 to a valve chamber 12 in which is mounted a valve 13, which controls the flow of gas from the chamber 12 to one or the other of two gas holders 1% and 15. The valve as shown is a slide valve, and controls not only the flow of the incoming gas from the valve chamber to the containers, but also the flow of gas from the containers to a discharge or delivery pipe 16 leading from the anti-pulsation device to the engine. For this purpose, the valve seat 17 is formed. with a central port 18 leading" to the pipe 16 and with ports 19 and 20, one on either side of the port 18 and communicating with passages 21 and 22 which lead to the containers 14: and 15 respectively.

The gas containers 14c and lfi'may be ot any suitable style adapted to expand in re ceiving gas and to fall or close up for delivering the gas; but bell-type holders such as shown are considered best forthe purpose, especially when the device is intended for delivering gas in any considerable quantities. lln the approved construction shown, the holders are arranged side by side and spaced sufliciently to permit the valve to be located between them, and each holder is formed of an upper rising and falling part, or hell, 2 having cylindrical sides, and a lower cylindrical shell 3 set on a base t formed of a suitable casting or otherwise. The shells 3 are formed with double walls which provide a water-containing space between them in which the cylindrical portion of the bell is adapted to travel, thus pro viding the usual water seal. Connecting the water space of the two shells is a water chamber or tank 25 of suliicient size to hold a considerable body of water, which serves to maintain the water level in the water space of the shells substantially the same during the rising and falling of the holder The bells may be guided in their Gil rising and falling movement by any suit able means, but for constructions of moderate size the centrally arranged depending rods 26 telescoping in the tubes 27 serve this purpose well while at the same time answering other purposes hereinafter explained. When the weight of the bells is so great that if unbalanced they would 'demersed in the water in the water-containing space of theshells as the bells move ward.

The gas passages 21 and 22 formed in the bases 4; of the holders each opens at one end through the base to the interior of the holder, andat the other end opens through the side of the base to connect with one of the valve ports 19 and 20. The body .of the valve, formed of a suitable casting or other wise constructed to provide the valve seat and various ports, as before described, is mounted between and secured to the bases 1 of the holders, and is provided with a removable cover 28. The valve 13 is shifted for changing the connections between the downrecei'vingpipe and the delivery or discharge pipe and the two holders by means of ac-.

tuating rods 30 and 31 mounted to extend through the passages 21 and 29 respectively. The inner end of each rod extends through an opening in the wall of the valve casting in position to engage a suitable abutment on the valve, and the outer end of each rod movement of the bell, and that when the bell in descending comes near the desired limit of its downward movement the pin 35 will come into engagement with the lower end of the slot 36 so that a slight continued downward movement of-the bell will then throw he bell-crank lever and the valve actuating rod to shift the position f the valve. The outward movement of the valve actuating rods, and consequently the upward movement of the tubular rods 27, is limited by means of stop collars 38 and 39 on the inner ends of the actuating rods.

In order to hold the valve in either position to which it has been shifted, and to in sure its quick movement to either position when it has been moved past center by either actuating rod, a weighted throw-arm 40 is mounted within the valve casing to swing on an axis extending transversely of the direction of the movement of the valve, and carries a segment gear 41 which meshes with a rack 42 on the valve. The arm 40 is mounted so that when the valve is in central position the arm will stand 7 vertical, and as the valve is moved in either extends through and is guided. by a lug 32, I

andis connected to the depending arm of abell crank lever 33 which has an outwardly extending horizontal arm connected to the lower end of the rod 27. The bell crank lever 33 for each holder is conveniently mounted as shown on a bracket 34: secured to the base of the holder over the opening from the passage '21 or 22 into the holder, and this bracket also carries the depending guide lug 32 which guides the end of the valve actuating rod. The rod :26 and tubular rod 27 of each holder are connected in such a way. as to permit them to have a relative sliding movement limited to the extent of the desired rising and falling move-- ment of the holder bells. as by ha ing the rods 26 each provided with a. pin 35 which pins travel in slots 36 of the tubular rods 27-, the slots being ofsuch length that when the bell has reached the limit of its. desired up ward movement, the pin 35 will have reached the upper end of the slot and will act as a. stop to limit the further upward direction beyond its central position the power of the weight on the arm will be exerted to throw the valve quickly over to the limit of its movement and then to hold the hand holder as the apparatus is viewed in.

Fig. '1, and the discharge pipe 16 is in communication through the valve and port 19 and passage 21' with the left hand holder. l/Vith the valve in this position, therefore, gas from the supply main Will flow into the right hand holder filling the same and cansing the bell to rise, and-gas from the left hand holder will flow out through the pipe 16 to supply the engine or other consuming apparatus, This will continue until the bell of the left hand holder drops'to near the limit of its downward movement, Whereupon the actuating rod 30 will be moved to the right to shift the valve to its right hand position. By such shifting of the valve, the left hand roller will be cut off from the discharge pipe 16 and put into communication with the receiving pipe 10, and simultaneously the right hand holder will be cut ofi' from the pipe 10 and put into communication wlth the pipe 16; and the gas to be consumed will then be supplied from the right hand holder, and the gas from the main will flow into and fill the left hand holder. The operation will thus continue, the valve being periodically shifted automatically and at each shift reversing the lid connections so as to give a continuous supply of gas through the discharge or delivery pipe it, while at all times preventing any communication between the supply main and the pipe leading to the engine. The transmission to the main of pulsations due to suction of the engine is thus completely and effectually prevented.

It will be seen that the apparatus is well adapted for securing the desired result of preventing transmission of pulsations to the main without reducing materially the pres sure under which gas is supplied to the engine. It will be seen further, that the use of a single controlling valve is of great advantage in providing a practical construction whereby the simultaneous shifting of the connections between the two holders and the inlet and discharge pipes is secured, and in avoiding the necessity of careful and accurate adjustment such as is necessary where two or more valves are employed for shifting the connections, and in avoiding adjustment necessitated by wear of operating parts. It is to be noted also that the valve and valve operating parts and connections areall wholly inclosed in gas space of the apparatus, thus avoiding the use of outside operating parts and consequent liability of leakage.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction and arrangement of parts of the apparatus as shown in the drawings and to which the foregoing construction has been mainly confined, but fications thereof within the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for preventing pulsations in gas mains, the combination of a plurality of independently movable gas receiving and delivering containers, a receiving passage through which gas is supplied from the gas main to the containers, a discharge passage through which gas is discharged from the containers for consumption, a single valve between the receiving passage and the discharge passage and movable for connecting the containers alternately with the receiving passage and the discharge passage and for cutting the containers 0d from the receiving passage when connected with the discharge passage, said valve being formed to prevent direct communication between the receiving passage and the discharge passage, and means controlled .by the last of the closing movement of the containers for operating the valve.

2. In a device for preventing pulsations in gas mains, the combination of a plurality of independently movable gas receiving and delivering containers, a receiving passage through which gas is'supplied from the gas main to the containers, a discharge passage through which gas is discharged from the that it includes changes and modi containers for consumption, passages for connecting the containers with the receiving and discharge passages, a single valve between the receivipg passage and the discharge passage for controlling the connection between the receiving and discharge passages and the passages leading to the containers, and means for automatically operating said valve to cause the receiving passage to be connected to one container while gas is being discharged through the discharge passage from another container and to cause the containers to be connected alternately with the discharge passage so as to give a continuous supply of gas through the discharge passage and to be cut' od from-the receiving passage when connected with the discharge passage, said valve being formed'to prevent direct communication between the receiving passage and the discharge passage.

3.1n a device for preventing pulsations in gas mains, the combination of two independently movable gas receiving and delivering containers, a receiving passage through which gas is supplied from the gas main to the containers, a discharge passage through which containers for consumption, a single valve interposed between the receiving passage and the discharge passage and movable for connecting the containers alternately one with' the receiving passage and the other with the discharge passage and vice versa,

said valve being formed to prevent direct communication between the receiving passage and the discharge passage, and means controlled by the last ofthe closing movement of the containers for operating said valve.

4-. lna'device for preventing pulsations in gas mains, the combination with two independently movable gas receiving and delivering containers, a receiving passage through which gas is supplied from main to the containers, a discharge from which gas is discharged from the containers for'consumption, controlling means for connecting the containers alternately one with the receiving passage and the other with the discharge passage and vice versa, and operating means controlled by the clos ing movement of the containers for operating said controlling means, said controlling means and said operating means being mounted wholly within gas-containing space of the apparatus.

a device for preventing pulsations in gas mains, the combination of two independently movable gas receiving and delivering containers, a receiving passage through which gasis supplied from the gas main to the containers, a discharge passage through which gas is discharged from the containers forconsumption, connecting paspassage the gas is discharged from the i It 2 il controlled by the closingmovement of the containers.

6. In a device for preventing pulsations in gas mains, the combination of two independently movable gas receiving and delivering containers, a valve chamber, 'a receiving passage through which as is supplied from the gas'm ain t0 the va ve chamber, a

discharge passage through which gas is dis charged from the valve chamber for consumption, a connecting passage between each container and the valve chamber, a valve mounted within the valve chamber between the receiving passage and the discharge passage and movable for putting the connecting passages alternately in communication one with the receiving passage and the other with the discharge passage and vice versa, and valve operating devices extending through said connecting passages.

7 In a device for preventing pulsations in gas mains, the combination of two independently movable gas receiving and delivering containers, a valve chamber, a valve "seat within the valve chamber having a central port and a port on either side of the central port, an open port or passage leading to t e valve chamber, said central port and said open port being connected one to receive the gas from the main and the other to discharge gas for consumption, a con:

necting passage leading from one container .to one of said side ports, and a connecting passage leading from the other container to the other of said side ports, a valve movable on said valve seat between the central port and said openport to connect the side ports alternately one with the central port and the other with the interior of the valve chamber and vice versa and valve shifting means controlled by t e closing-movement of the containers.

8. In a gas supply system, thecombination with a supply main, of a receiving passage leading 'from the main, a'discharge passage through which gas is supplied for consumption, and means interposed between the receiving passage and the discharge passage for maintaining a supply of gas in the discharge passage while preventing the'transmission of pulsations from the discharge passage back through the receiving'passage to the main, said means comprisin a plurality of gas receiving and deliverln'g containers and flow-controlling means for conmating the containers alternatelyjwith the receiving passage and the discharge passage and means for operating said flow-controlling means .to give a continuous supply of gas to the discharge passage, said flow-controlling means bemg formed to at all times cut oil communication between the receiving passage and the discharge passage.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

0 CHARLES E. LUOKE. Witnesses I E. G. PHAIR, FRANK C. EBB. 

